How To Know Windows Installer Version
 Help screen of Windows Installer v.0 running on Windows 7. | |
| Developer(southward) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 31 August 1999 (1999-08-31) |
| Stable release | v.0 / 22 July 2009 (2009-07-22) [one] |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Platform | IA-32, x86-64, ARM32, ARM64, Itanium |
| Included with | Windows 2000 and later |
| Type | Installer |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | docs |
| Filename extension | .msi, .msp |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | application/x-ole-storage |
| Developed by | Microsoft |
| Blazon of format | Annal |
| Container for | Installation information and an optional .cab file payload |
| Extended from | COM Structured Storage |
| Open format? | No |
Windows Installer (msiexec.exe, previously known equally Microsoft Installer,[iii] codename Darwin)[4] [5] is a software component and application programming interface (API) of Microsoft Windows used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software. The installation information, and optionally the files themselves, are packaged in installation packages, loosely relational databases structured as COM Structured Storages and unremarkably known as "MSI files", from their default filename extensions. The packages with the file extensions mst incorporate Windows Installer "Transformation Scripts", those with the msm extensions contain "Merge Modules" and the file extension pcp is used for "Patch Creation Backdrop".[6] Windows Installer contains significant changes from its predecessor, Setup API. New features include a GUI framework and automatic generation of the uninstallation sequence. Windows Installer is positioned as an alternative to stand-alone executable installer frameworks such every bit older versions of InstallShield and NSIS.
Before the introduction of Microsoft Store (then named Windows Store), Microsoft encouraged third parties to apply Windows Installer as the footing for installation frameworks, and so that they synchronize correctly with other installers and continue the internal database of installed products consequent. Important features such as rollback and versioning depend on a consistent internal database for reliable performance. Furthermore, Windows Installer facilitates the principle of least privilege by performing software installations by proxy for unprivileged users.
Logical structure of packages [edit]
A package describes the installation of i or more than total products and is universally identified by a GUID. A product is made up of components, grouped into features. Windows Installer does not handle dependencies betwixt products.
Products [edit]
A unmarried, installed, working program (or ready of programs) is a product. A product is identified by a unique GUID (the ProductCode property) providing an authoritative identity throughout the world. The GUID, in combination with the version number (ProductVersion property), allows for release direction of the production's files and registry keys.
A package includes the package logic and other metadata that relates to how the bundle executes when running. For example, changing an EXE file in the product may require the ProductCode or ProductVersion to exist inverse for the release management. However, merely changing or adding a launch condition (with the production remaining exactly the aforementioned as the previous version) would notwithstanding require the PackageCode to modify for release direction of the MSI file itself.
Features [edit]
A feature is a hierarchical group of components. A feature may incorporate whatsoever number of components and other sub-features. Smaller packages can consist of a single feature. More than complex installers may display a "custom setup" dialog box, from which the user can select which features to install or remove.
The bundle author defines the product features. A discussion processor, for example, might place the program's core file into i feature, and the programme'southward help files, optional spelling checker and jotter modules into additional features.
Components [edit]
A component is the bones unit of a production. Each component is treated by Windows Installer as a unit. The installer cannot install just office of a component.[7] Components tin can comprise programme files, folders, COM components, registry keys, and shortcuts. The user does not straight collaborate with components.
Components are identified globally past GUIDs; thus the same component can be shared among several features of the same package or multiple packages, ideally through the use of Merge Modules.
Key paths [edit]
A cardinal path is a specific file, registry key, or ODBC data source that the package author specifies equally critical for a given component. Considering a file is the most common type of key path, the term primal file is ordinarily used. A component can contain at nearly one key path; if a component has no explicit key path, the component'south destination folder is taken to be the cardinal path. When an MSI-based program is launched, Windows Installer checks the existence of cardinal paths. If there is a mismatch between the current system state and the value specified in the MSI package (e.thou., a key file is missing), the related feature is re-installed. This process is known every bit self-healing or cocky-repair. No two components should use the same fundamental path.
Developing installer packages [edit]
Creating an installer package for a new awarding is non trivial. It is necessary to specify which files must be installed, to where and with what registry keys. Any non-standard operations can be done using Custom Actions, which are typically developed in DLLs. There are a number of commercial and freeware products to assist in creating MSI packages, including Visual Studio (natively up to VS 2010,[8] with an extension on newer VS versions[nine]), InstallShield and WiX. To varying degrees, the user interface and behavior may exist configured for use in less common situations such as unattended installation. One time prepared, an installer package is "compiled" by reading the instructions and files from the developer'south local car, and creating the .msi file.
The user interface (dialog boxes) presented at the kickoff of installation can be changed or configured by the setup engineer developing a new installer. In that location is a limited language of buttons, text fields and labels which tin be bundled in a sequence of dialogue boxes. An installer package should be capable of running without whatsoever UI, for what is chosen "unattended installation".
Water ice validation [edit]
Microsoft provides a set of Internal Consistency Evaluators (ICE) that tin can be used to detect potential bug with an MSI database.[10] The Water ice rules are combined into CUB files, which are stripped-down MSI files containing custom actions that test the target MSI database'due south contents for validation warnings and errors. Water ice validation tin can be performed with the Platform SDK tools Orca and msival2, or with validation tools that send with the various authoring environments.
For case, some of the Ice rules are:
- ICE09: Validates that whatever component destined for the System folder is marked as being permanent.
- ICE24: Validates that the product lawmaking, product version, and production language have appropriate formats.
- ICE33: Validates that the Registry table is not used for data ameliorate suited for another table (Class, Extension, Verb, and so on).
Addressing Ice validation warnings and errors is an important step in the release process.
Versions [edit]
| Version | Included with[ane] | Too available for |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Office 2000 | N/A |
| one.one | Windows 2000 RTM, SP1, SP2 Office XP[11] | Windows 95, Windows 98 Windows NT 4.0 |
| one.2 | Windows Me | Due north/A |
| ii.0 | Windows XP RTM, SP1 Windows 2000 SP3, SP4 Windows Server 2003 RTM | Windows 9x Windows NT 4.0 Windows 2000 |
| iii.0 | Windows XP SP2 | Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Server 2003 |
| three.1 | Windows XP SP3 Windows Server 2003 SP1, SP2 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition | Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Server 2003 |
| four.0 | Windows Vista RTM, SP1 Windows Server 2008 RTM | North/A |
| 4.five[12] | Windows Vista SP2 Windows Server 2008 SP2 | Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Windows Vista Windows Server 2008[13] |
| v.0 | Windows 7 and later Windows Server 2008 R2 and later | N/A |
Come across besides [edit]
- APPX - Software package format used on Microsoft'southward Windows Store
- App-V - Software package format used for virtualization and streaming
- .exe
- Installation
- List of installation software
- Parcel direction arrangement
- Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
- ZAP file – a manner to perform an awarding installation when no MSI file exists
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Released Versions of Windows Installer". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. Retrieved iii Nov 2012.
- ^ "File Extension .MSI Details". Filext.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24 .
- ^ Mensching, Rob (2003-eleven-25). "Inside the MSI file format". MSDN Blogs. Archived from the original on 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2017-02-15 .
- ^ Mensching, Rob (2003-x-eleven). "The story of Orca". MSDN Blogs. Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2017-02-15 .
- ^ Smith, Chris (2005-07-01). "Windows Installer, The .NET Framework, The Bootstrapper, and You". MSDN Blogs . Retrieved 2017-02-15 .
- ^ Stewart, Heath (2006-02-27). "Identifying Windows Installer File Types". Retrieved 2020-04-22 .
- ^ "Windows Installer Components". MSDN Library. Microsoft Corporation. 2012-eleven-30. Retrieved 2013-04-08 .
- ^ Hodges, Buck (2011-03-17). "Visual Studio setup projects (vdproj) will not ship with future versions of VS". MSDN Blogs . Retrieved 2020-02-04 .
- ^ "Visual Studio Installer Projects Extension". Visual Studio Weblog. 2014-04-17. Retrieved 2020-02-04 .
- ^ Internal Consistency Evaluators – ICEs
- ^ "Applying Full-File Updates to Client Computers". Microsoft. March 9, 2004. Archived from the original on April x, 2004.
- ^ What'due south New in Windows Installer four.5
- ^ "Released Versions of Windows Installer (Windows)". Msdn.microsoft.com. 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2013-04-24 .
External links [edit]
- Official website
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer
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